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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to door hardware. More particularly, the invention relates to a door control cylinder. Most particularly, the invention relates to a releasable locking assembly for a door control cylinder.
2. Background Information
The state of the art includes various locking mechanisms for door control cylinders. This technology is believed to have significant limitations and shortcomings, including but not limited to that the mechanisms are difficult to operate, marginally effective and costly to manufacture.
Some examples of inventions concerning locking mechanisms for door control cylinders and the like for which patents have been granted include the following.
Stevens, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,325, describes a hold-open device for use with a conventional door closer. There is a shoe moving along a track and connected to the closer operating arm. A latch holds the shoe with the door open. The latch is attached to a frame near the track and may be moved away from latching engagement with the shoe by either forcibly closing the door or by deactivating the closer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,311, Watts discloses a pneumatic door-closer that includes a cylinder with a rod that extends upon opening the door. The rod has a series of transverse grooves and a clip encircling the rod. The clip has opposed ribs that can engage the grooves when the clip is rotated in one direction and disengage the grooves when the clip is rotated in the opposite direction to lock and unlock the clip on the rod.
Yang, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,322, describes a constant drag device the includes a cylinder with a stretchable tube-like sleeve surrounding and gripping an inner rod or tube. A coil spring surrounds the sleeve in position to resist movement on one end of the sleeve against the spring force. Moving the rod axially relative to the spring in a direction against the spring force on 5 the sleeve decreases the inner diameter of the sleeve to produce a drag on the inner member.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,882, Watts discloses a pneumatic door-closer that includes a cylinder with a rod that extends upon opening the door. The rod has a series of transverse grooves and a clip encircling the rod. The clip has opposed ribs that can engage the grooves when the clip is rotated in one direction and disengage the grooves when the clip is rotated in the opposite direction to lock and unlock the clip on the rod.
Simmons, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,163, discloses a storm door locking apparatus that includes a clamp secured to the door cylinder with a slidable rod mounted thereto which is attached to a locking flange for engaging the cylinder rod to hold the door open. The user locks the door open by pushing a lever at the opposite end of the slidable rod.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,609, Lin describes a pneumatic door closer that includes an actuator encircling the plunger rod and mounted in a plug. The actuator is biased by a spring and engages an annular groove in the plunger rod to hold the door open. The actuator is disengaged by opening the door further which causes a sleeve to disengage the actuator from the annular groove.
Guerin, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,150, describes a door holder that includes a piston unit with a separate rod attached by a housing to the piston unit and the door jamb. The rod has a cantable washer that is actuated by a pneumatic unit positioned on the floor for actuation by a user""s foot.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,148, O""Leary discloses an automatic brake and holding mechanism for sliding rods to maintain the rod at any desired position of extension or retraction with respect to an associated housing. A brake surrounds a rod with the brake confined within a barrel having a slot for holding the brake tab with the brake biased by a spring surrounding the rod. A release sleeve encircles the rod and has an enlarged end that can contact the brake. Also present is a latch that mounts to the exterior of the barrel, with a brake trip extending into the barrel through a slot therein.
Checkovich, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,780, describes a door position controlling apparatus. The apparatus includes a piston rod with a latch plate that is suspended by a flexing means to lock onto the rod and hold the door open. There is an electronic unit that imparts a force on a magnetized shaft to unlock the latch plate from the rod and allow the cylinder rod to retract and close the attached door.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,248, Luca discloses a door closer with semi-automatic latching. The cylinder rod has a cantable washer confined to a short longitudinal space in the cylinder and riding on the rod. The washer is maintained in an essentially perpendicular orientation on the rod and a positional support is movable into the washer space to cant the washer, arrest the cylinder rod and hold the door open. To unlatch the door, the positionable support is withdrawn to avoid canting contact with the washer. The positional support may be a pin or a tab, with the washer having cut out portions.
Patterson, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,925, describes a door closer holding mechanism that includes a slidable stop on another rod that rides on the exterior of a cylinder with the stop dropping between the cylinder and door jamb to hold the door open. The stop has a lever for disengaging the device from between the cylinder and the door jamb.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,562 by Luca describes another door closer that includes a cylinder rod with a cantable washer confined to a short longitudinal space in the cylinder and riding on the rod. The washer is spring biased, and there is a complex arming and latching mechanism that includes a lever, a head, a spring and a trigger. The arming and latching of the mechanism is shown in FIGS. 4A-4G. Several other embodiments of the arming and latching mechanism, one with a slidable button as shown in FIGS. 5A-5E, and a toggle button as shown in FIGS. 6A-6E, are also disclosed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,255, Luca discloses another door closer that includes a cylinder rod with a complex tapered latching means confined to a short longitudinal space in the cylinder and riding on the rod. In one embodiment, a cantable washer interacts with a sliding eccentric support to lock the washer on the rod.
Green, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,253, describes a storm door cylinder lock that automatically locks the cylinder in an open position when the door is opened past 90 degrees. The cylinder includes an arm assembly, a cylindrical catch piece and a hard stop.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,922 by Kondratuk describes another door closer that includes a cylinder rod with a cantable washer having an angled portion, the washer confined to a short longitudinal space in the cylinder and riding on the rod. There is a base portion that forms the end of the cylinder and a cap that attaches to the base and encloses the washer. The base has a stepped surface that faces the cap, and the cap has positioning pegs to hold the washer in place. Rotating the cap in one direction causes the washer to engage the rod due to the stepped surface of the base, and rotating the cap in the opposite direction disengages the washer.
For this and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention. This invention provides a releasable locking assembly which is believed to fulfill the need and to constitute an improvement over the background technology.
All United States patents and patent applications, and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention provides a releasable locking assembly apparatus/method for door control cylinders. Advantages and significant features of the invention include, but are not necessarily limited to, a releasable locking assembly that is simple to operate and install on existing door control cylinders. Further, the assembly of the present invention is uncomplicated and economical to manufacture.
The releasable locking assembly for selectively locking and unlocking a door control cylinder, having a spring biased rod member extending from an end thereof, includes a movable locking member encircling the cylinder rod member and retained within a first confining member secured to an end of the control cylinder with the rod member extending through the first confining member. The movable locking member is biased against an interior end of the first confining member opposite the control cylinder. A biased, linear actuating member parallels the rod member and traverses the first confining member end opposite the cylinder. The actuating member is movable to cant the locking member upon the rod member to secure the rod member in an extended condition. A second confining member is moveably secured to the first confining member and operatively connected to the biased, linear actuation member. Moving the second confining member toward the first confining member causes the biased actuation member to cant the locking member on the rod member to lock the rod member in an extended condition from the control cylinder. The locking member releases the rod member upon further extending the rod member from the control cylinder.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a releasable locking assembly for selectively locking and unlocking a door control cylinder, having a spring biased rod member extending from an end thereof, includes a movable locking member encircling the cylinder rod member and retained within a first cup member, having an open end and a closed end. The cup open end is secured to an end of the control cylinder with the rod member extending axially through the first cup member. The first cup member has a spacer member therein for maintaining a confined space between the first cup member closed end and the control cylinder end for the movable locking member. The movable locking member is biased against an interior closed end of the first cup member opposite the control cylinder by a first rod-encircling spring member. A biased, linear actuating member parallels the rod member and traverses the first cup member end opposite the cylinder. The actuating member is free moving and retained within an offset aperture in the first cup member closed end opposite the control cylinder, with a biasing spring surrounding the actuation member exterior the first cup member. The actuating member moves to cant the locking member upon the rod member to secure the rod member in an extended condition. A second cup member has an open end and a closed end with a axial aperture therein. The second cup member open end is moveably secured about the first cup member and operatively connected to the biased, linear actuation member. Moving the second cup member toward the first cup member causes the biased actuation member to cant the locking member on the rod member to lock the rod member in an extended condition from the control cylinder. The locking member releases the rod member upon further extending the rod member from the control cylinder.